“Casa dos Pilões” Museum (Pestle House)

The Pestle House was one of the production units of the Royal Gunpowder Factory at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. The Gunpowder Factory played a vital role in the security of the Brazilian Empire, being responsible for the production of the explosive for the whole Brazilian market. At the Pestle Mill, the most dangerous step of the production took place: the gunpowder compression.

1831- Deactivation and Renovations

After being deactivated in 1831, the building went through several renovations and was used for many purposes, such as residence and lab for the botanist Dr. João Geraldo Kuhlmann, and, after his death, the Kuhlmann Museum

Today - Museum-Archeological Site

In 1984, the existence of the archeological site for the Pestle Mill was confirmed. The results of the prospections guided the future usage of the estate as a museum-archeological site. In addition to the building itself, where there is a scale model of the mill working, there is a permanent exhibition with fragments and objects found at archeological sites.